Walking - A Serious Balancing Act!

The human body is an engineering marvel! Think about all that makes us exactly who we are and the extraordinary abilities we have that are commonly taken for granted…including walking! It’s truly an amazing feat (pun fully intended!) that we are able to not only balance, but be able to move gracefully on 2 relatively small platforms. The reason we are able to be bi-pedal (walk on 2 feet) is because of my favorite geometric shape…the triangle! The triangle or tri-pod is more commonly used for balancing, like a tri-pod for a camera or a 3-legged stool, because it is more stable than 4 points of contact. Imagine your foot like a tri-pod, with the points being your heel, the big toe joint and the little toe joint. It is easier for the body to balance these 3 points of contact rather than 4 or more.

Ideally, we want even pressure on all 3 points to help us achieve balance and avoid pain or injury. If there is weakness or dysfunction in one, than the other 2 areas need to pick up the slack which can lead to more pain and dysfunction. Other than surgery, the only way to maintain this permanent balancing act is to wear custom orthotics.

Orthotics provide support while wearing shoes to realign and allow proper biomechanical function to reduce fatigue and pain. At Prairie Path Foot and Ankle Clinic, we specialize in prescribing and casting for orthotics through gait analysis, an exam and casting to provide our patient’s with an orthotic that is completely custom to their feet.